The Best Day of His Life
by BearfootTruck
Summary: Gaara is having his 21st birthday, and he is none too happy about it...that is, until a certain blonde comes along. Rated M for strong language, some violence and sexy times. Fem!Naruto
1. Blonde on Red

**A/N: Today, I decided I wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to one of my favorite _Naruto_ characters, a guy who's undergone an amazing transformation ever since he met The Man. Just be warned, that this fic will contain mature stuff later on, so if that kind of thing squicks you out, don't read this one. Otherwise, enjoy!**

* * *

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Gaara awoke to the voice of his sister Temari, but when he opened his eyes, she and his brother Kankuro appeared to be nothing but fuzzy blobs of color at first. Soon enough, though, they came into focus.

"Why the hell are you two…" Gaara looked at his cassette player/alarm clock. "It's only 5:00 AM. I'm not even scheduled to be awake yet, so bug off."

"Hey brother, have some more respect, man!" said Kankuro.

"Yeah, we don't talk like that to you on your BIRTHDAY," said Temari.

"Birthday? You must be…" Gaara turned on his phone. After it warmed up, he looked at the date: January 19. He then slumped back into his bed and pulled the cover over his head. "Great."

"Why so sulky, Gaara?" asked Temari. "You should be happy to turn 21!"

"Yeah, I've always wanted to see you get bombed!" said Kankuro.

"I won't disagree with your sentiments," said Gaara, "but that doesn't make me any happier. All I want to do is live my life without all this adult responsibility crap."

"Come on!" said Temari. "Don't think of it as crap! Think of it as you entering the best part of your life!"

"Think about it, brother:" said Kankuro. "Soon, you'll be livin' the dream!"

"More like a fucking nightmare, Kankuro," said Gaara.

Temari pulled down Gaara's blanket. "If you don't get out of bed right now, I'm gonna call cousin Kobi and she's gonna tickle you until you pee!"

Gaara's face went flush. Out of all things in this world, one thing that he feared was his cousin Kobura tickling him. No matter how many times he begged, she never stopped until she felt like it, which usually left him barely able to breathe. He sighed.

"Fine…you win, Temari." Gaara pulled the blanket off of himself and crawled out of bed.

When Gaara came downstairs, he was hit with a breakfast scent like no other, and that plus the sight of what was on the table was enough to start dissipating the fog in his head: fried chicken, ham, waffles, French toast…enough breakfast to feed the US Marines. Gaara's eyes widened, and he meandered to the table in a hypnotic fashion. Once there, he sat down and awaited his siblings.

"Well…?" said Temari.

"Did you two make all this for me?" asked Gaara.

"It was mostly her…" Kankuro pointed his thumb at Temari, "…but I helped out, too."

Gaara cracked a weak smile. "That's nice. Shall we eat?"

Temari and Kankuro nodded. They sat on both sides of Gaara and interlocked hands with him.

"Mother, Father…" said Temari, "…wherever you are, bless this lovely breakfast, and may our youngest brother have the best birthday ever."

"Amen," said Kankuro and Gaara.

Once that was done, everybody helped themselves and began digging in. Gaara let out a hearty "mmmm" as he took a bite out of his fried chicken. Granted, the family's secret herbs and spices weren't enough to break the fog completely, but the taste was nonetheless very agreeable to him. The real coup de grace, however, was what Kankuro had poured for him: homemade coffee…black, just as he liked it. Gaara picked up his mug – which said "GOOD MORNING MY ASS" on it – and took a sip. As the hot beverage went down his throat, Gaara felt as though the sun was rising in his brain. Any thoughts he previously harbored in regards to killing his siblings were perished like Romeo and Juliet.

"Thank you," said Gaara.

"You're welcome!" said Temari and Kankuro.

* * *

Once he'd gotten his fill of breakfast, Gaara went to the bathroom and freshened up, which involved brushing his teeth, flossing, and shaving. Though his body produced plenty of testosterone, Gaara was one of those men who didn't grow bodily hair very fast, so he didn't need to shave very often. Since he wasn't scheduled to go to work or school today, Gaara decided to crash in his room and watch all the _Hard Drivers_ movies on Netflix. Sure, he owned the entire DVD collection, but still, there was just something special about streaming them. While the first movie was still in progress, he heard knocking on his door, so he paused it.

"Who is it?" asked Gaara.

"Gaara, there's someone here to see you!" said Temari.

"Hold on a moment!" Gaara threw on his street attire: a pair of jeans and a Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" T-shirt. "Let them in!"

"She said she'd rather you come to her."

Gaara grumbled as he waltzed to the bedroom door. When he opened it, he got glomped.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GAARA!" exclaimed Naruka Uzumaki, an old childhood friend of his.

Gaara blushed, but nevertheless hugged Naruka with a smile on his face. Temari smiled when she saw this, but chose to leave the two to their own devices.

"Thank you, Naruka!" said Gaara.

"You're welcome, babe!"

The two broke away from the hug after what felt like an eternity to Gaara. He looked over Naruka's attire, which included a red Aeropostale zippered hoodie – unzipped just enough to expose her cleavage – and black leggings.

"Now that you're here, is there anything I can do for you?" asked Gaara.

"Actually, I was hoping to spend the day with the birthday boy…" Naruka winked at Gaara.

Gaara frowned. "As much as I appreciate your companionship, I would much rather spend my birthday alone this time."

Naruka pouted. "I guess I understand. It's just…well…I heard you were turning 21 today, and I kinda wanted to make it a special one for you…"

Naruka turned her head away as she tried to hold back her tears.

Gaara blinked. "Do you really mean that?"

"Y…yes…"

"Naruka, if it'll make you happy, I'll let you spend the day with me."

Naruka's smile returned. "Thank you so much, babe!"

Naruka gave Gaara another big hug, and he happily returned it. Without his Schott 650 leather jacket on, Gaara was better able to feel Naruka's curves, not to mention the leather smell didn't interfere with her natural scent. Hearing a slight sniffle from her did prove rather disconcerting, but overall, it made him want to hold on to her even more. Eventually, the two let go of each other.

"Since I like you, I'm going to rewind my movie so we can see it together," said Gaara."

"Aw, that's sweet of you!"

And so, Gaara rewound _Hard Drivers_ and played it again like Sam. During the movie, Naruka snuggled up with him, and when the movie got to the moment where Joe Johnson – the main character – recounted a sad tale to Alura Smith – the love interest from that movie – Gaara and Naruka held on tight to each other. Sure, the two were more in it for the action scenes, but still, the depth of that particular scene touched them something fierce. When the movie was over, however, Gaara and Naruka were smiling.

"Man, it's been _so long_ since I've seen that movie!" said Naruka. "Thanks for playing it!"

"You're welcome!" said Gaara. "What shall we do next?"

"As much fun as I had with this or even the _Death Truck_ movies, I don't wanna spend your birthday all cooped up in this crummy house!" said Naruka.

"I'll admit it's not the coziest place ever, but it can't be that bad…can it?"

"It's not that bad, but still, we should go outside and have some fun there!"

"All right, I can agree to that! What sort of fun?"

"Why don't we take a walk?"

"Sure thing!"

* * *

Gaara put on an Oxford Gray Russell hoodie and some Brooks sneakers, while Naruka put on her New Balance sneakers. The two then walked out into the world of Glocester, Rhode Island. A small town of just under 10,000 people, Glocester was delineated by the innumerable trees covering the landscape. One of the more well-known attractions in the town was a lake known as the Ponaganset Reservoir, by which Gaara's house was located. Though the sky was cloudy and the breeze from the lake made it feel colder than the high of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, Gaara and Naruka produced enough warmth from their hearts that they didn't care.

"So, you got any plans for your birthday?" asked Naruka.

"Same as ever:" said Gaara. "I'm having a party with my family, and we're going out to eat later on tonight."

"Aw cool! Where to?"

"Ordinarily, we go out to the Yamato Steak House in Greenville."

"Can I come along?"

"Gee, I'd love to, but this has traditionally been more of a family affair for me."

Naruka hung her head. "All right, forget I asked."

Gaara stroked his chin. "Although…I could ask my siblings nicely…"

Naruka lifted her head again. "That would be SO cool!"

This time, Naruka interlocked fingers and held Gaara's hand, causing the latter to smile. Once again, he enjoyed the softness of her touch. The two walked like this for some time. Then, all of a sudden, Gaara could feel Naruka increasing her walking pace.

"Naruka, what are you doing!?"

"Catch me if you can, boy!"

Thus, Naruka broke out into a full-fledged run, and Gaara followed suit. As he felt the cold air pounding against his face, Gaara grinned and tried to catch up to Naruka. Though not as enthused about running as she was, he nevertheless got a certain _joie de vivre_ from doing so with someone as beautiful as her. The sight of her long, curly blonde hair flowing in the wind gave him extra incentive to try to catch her. Even though he was a fast runner by the standards of the State Police, and even though he could easily run at least five miles, he began to lose his breath once he passed that mark.

"N…Naruka…!" Gaara huffed and puffed. "W…wait…up…!"

As per Gaara's command, Naruka skidded to a halt and went back to Gaara.

"Whoa! Don't drop dead on me now, babe!"

Despite being bent over and having to rest his hands on his thighs, Gaara retained enough strength to lift his head up.

"I…promise I won't…" Gaara wiped his forehead of freezing sweat and slowly stood up straight. "Phew…that was the most fun I've ever had running!"

"You sure look like you had fun! Why don't we hoof it back to my place?"

"Really?"

"Hey, last one there is broccoli-flavored ramen!"

Naruka took off, prompting Gaara to sprint a short distance until she skidded to a halt.

"HA!" Naruka gave Gaara a hearty slap on the back. "Fooled you!"

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	2. Strange Games

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had a power outage for a couple of days, and then my Internet access was down for an additional day. Hopefully, updates will be more frequent from now on.**

* * *

Rather than running to Naruka's place, Naruka and Gaara walked there. Although it appeared to be dilapidated on the outside, with broken siding and random overgrowth, the inside told a different story, its floorboards being nice and polished, and the furniture being free of tears or splinters.

"Come on, have a seat!" said Naruka.

Gaara obeyed her and sat down next to Naruka on a leather couch.

"So…" said Naruka.

"So what?" Gaara tilted his head.

"Wanna have a wild makeout session with me?"

Gaara blushed and broke out in a cold sweat. "N-Naruka, you can't be serious!"

Naruka gave Gaara a gentle push. "Of course I'm serious, babe! I mean, you don't have to if you don't wanna…"

"I do, but not while covered in sweat."

"Then go take a shower, silly!"

"As you wish."

Gaara got up from the couch, and having visited Naruka's house before, found the upstairs bathroom as if on instinct. While he was disrobing, the door opened behind him. He yelped in surprise and bunched up his shirt in front of him.

"Naruka, what are you doing!?"

"Just coming in to take a shower!"

"With _me_!? Are you serious!?"

"Believe it!"

"As much as I like you, I don't exactly feel comfortable taking a shower with a woman…"

"Why not?"

"I just…I…well…I've never done it before…"

"Not even with your sister?"

"When I was really young, yes, but…"

"But _what_?"

Gaara sighed. "Forget it. If you really want to, I won't stop you."

Naruka smiled. "Great! This is gonna be so fun!"

After closing the door behind her, Naruka began to disrobe as well. Once they were completely naked, Naruka turned on the shower and waited a few seconds.

"All right, it should be warm enough!" said Naruka. "Come on!"

And so, Gaara and Naruka stepped into the shower. Upon doing so, they took some time to soak themselves.

"Ready for the fun?" asked Naruka.

Gaara simply nodded as calmly as he could. Then, Naruka cracked open a bottle of shampoo/conditioner, filling the whole shower with some flowery scent soon enough. She squirted some in Gaara's hand before giving herself some. Gaara and Naruka then proceeded to wash each other's hair. In Gaara's case, he had a bit of trouble because in spite of her firm press, Naruka's soft fingers went across some rather sensitive points on his scalp, causing him to moan.

"You like?" asked Naruka.

"Oh, that feels so good!" said Gaara. " _Don't_ stop!"

Naruka giggled. "Good, because I like what you're doing to me!"

And so, the two continued what they were doing. Somehow, Naruka moaned more loudly than Gaara, which prompted the latter to wonder about a few things, particularly whether she'd done this with anybody else before and why she found him so enjoyable. At one point, when Gaara's hands rested on the back of Naruka's head, he wanted to pull her in and kiss her, but he decided to let the anticipation build up instead. Eventually, they washed the stuff out of their hair, which was when Naruka grabbed a bottle of body wash.

"Wanna do the honors, babe?" asked Naruka.

Gaara gulped. Nevertheless, he accepted the body wash, cracked it open and rubbed some between his hands.

"A-HEM!"

Gaara stopped short of applying the body wash to himself. Naruka then winked at him, and he got the signal. Without further ado, he handed the body wash to her and let her work on him. Once again, the two enjoyed each other's touch, but there was still one issue that needed to be addressed…

"Gaara, you can touch my boobs!" said Naruka.

Gaara's eyes widened. "I…I can?"

"Duh! How else are they gonna get clean?"

Gaara nodded and proceeded to wash Naruka's chest. He was amazed at just how soft they were, and yet there was a certain firmness to them. He dared not ask how big she really was, but he presumed to himself that she was at least a D-cup. Regardless, Gaara could tell by the way Naruka was blushing and presumably drooling that she enjoyed his touch. In this moment, her happiness spilled over to him as he continued to play with her. He was also in a state of disbelief considering that he never imagined ever getting such consent from a woman in his lifetime. What really sealed the deal was the soft moaning and the occasional "oh yes" that she uttered. However, this – combined with the way she was touching him – caused Gaara to notice how hard he really was. He stopped playing with Naruka's chest when he saw this.

"Wanna touch my pussy, too?" asked Naruka.

"R-really?"

Naruka laughed. "Don't be shy, babe! I love it when you touch my boobs, so…"

Without further question, Gaara slowly slid his hands down Naruka's body and began washing her crotch. He got even more moaning from her when he touched it. In washing it, he tried to remind himself that as enjoyable as it may have seemed, it was just business. It was no use, though. Considering that she was touching him in the same way, it was driving him nuts. Eventually, Gaara pulled away.

"Why'd you stop?" asked Naruka.

Gaara did his best to keep smiling. "Look, I'm glad you're enjoying this, but this feels really awkward for me, so I really think we should finish up."

"OK, we'll finish up, but first…we _gotta_ kiss each other!" Naruka rested her arms on Gaara's shoulders.

"If it means that much to you, I won't refuse."

Naruka pulled Gaara in, and the two kissed each other. This would not have been the first time that they kissed each other, but given their past history, it was certainly one of the more – if not the most – enjoyable kisses they'd ever shared. The warmth of the shower was enough to mask the warmth that Gaara felt in his face. When Naruka pulled away, the red in their faces was enough to paint all the fire apparatus in the world. She then turned the water off, and the two stepped out of the shower and dried off.

"By the way…" said Naruka.

"What?" asked Gaara.

"NAKED HUG!"

Naruka gave Gaara a big hug, which he returned. Even though he was still hard, Gaara enjoyed the feeling of Naruka's soft skin against his. He enjoyed it so much that he slowly rubbed her back. The post-shower scent and Naruka's sigh of pleasure were nice touches, too. After a minute of this, Naruka let go.

"Thanks, Naruka!"

"You're welcome, babe!"

"I only have one question, though:"

"Yeah?"

"Can we get _this_ taken care of?" Gaara pointed to his crotch.

"Whoa, hold the phone there, babe! Are you suggesting that you wanna open your present NOW?"

"Well, not really…"

"Good, because I want your present to be the best one you've ever had! Believe it!"

Somewhat frustrated, Gaara put his clothes on and headed downstairs to the living room couch, and Naruka followed him.

"Can we watch some TV now?" asked Gaara.

"Wouldn't you rather play some video games?" said Naruka.

"Well, as long as they don't involve touching your breasts, I'm in."

Naruka laughed. "Don't worry! I won't tease you… _much_."

Without further ado, Naruka grabbed a crate full of Wii games and began digging out which ones had multiplayer capabilities. After making the appropriate selections, she handed them to Gaara.

"Go on, pick one!" said Naruka.

Gaara shuffled through the games. Though not a monumental decision-making process, it was enough to get him to stop being hard. Within short order, he picked _Global Thermonuclear War: Deluxe Edition_.

"Ooh, that's a good one!"

Satisfied with Gaara's choice, Naruka fired up the TV and the Nintendo Wii connected to it and ejected the game that was already inside: _Machine Gun Nazi Werewolves of Beverly Hills_. After putting that game away, she put in the other one. Once they'd gotten through the intro stuff, Naruka selected "Multiplayer", and then "Competitive", where she and Gaara had to pick sides. Without question, Gaara chose to play as the USA.

"In Soviet Russia, USA chooses YOU!" Naruka snickered.

Gaara ignored Naruka's poor Russian accent and chose a random strategy. Fortunately for him, it was "USA First Strike". He then proceeded to launch his initial batch of nukes at all of Naruka's population centers, causing her considerable losses.

"Oh yeah?" said Naruka. "Watch _this_!"

Naruka's initial launch targeted a mix of Gaara's population centers and missile silos. While he didn't suffer extensive population losses, he did lose some of his strike capabilities. He grinned.

"I'm not finished with you _yet_!" said Gaara.

The game went back and forth for quite some time. In the end, however, the game was a draw.

"Not bad," said Naruka. "Wanna play again?"

"You bet!"

Both parties chose the same sides as before. This time, Naruka got to go first since the game picked "USSR First Strike" when she got a random strategy. Figuring she might be better off this way, she chose to launch her first round of nukes at Gaara's population centers. This game was no less tense than the first match. However, neither side won this one, either.

"Naruka…"

"Yes, Gaara?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm not giving up until I win."

"Whatever you say, babe!"

And so, the two elected to continue with their chosen sides, and each time, they forged ahead with different strategies, such as the "Venezuela Sudden", "SEATO Takeover", "Egypt Surgical", "Burmese Containment", and "Israel Discretionary". With every strategy, the two watched as millions of virtual people died in virtual blazes of ignominy. However, no matter how hard they tried, Gaara and Naruka always fought to a draw.

"A strange game," said Gaara. "It seems the only winning move is not to play."

"Who cares?" said Naruka. "It was fun!"

Gaara crossed his arms. "Maybe for you, but I'd much rather play something else."

"OK, babe! What would you like to play?"

"How about a nice game of chess?"

Naruka gave a thumbs up. "Sure thing!"

And so, Naruka switched games to _Super Grandmaster Chess 4000_. She then took out a quarter from her pocket.

"Call it!" Naruka flipped the coin.

"Heads," said Gaara.

Naruka caught the coin and slapped it on her other arm before peeking at it.

"Tails," said Naruka. "I call white!"

And so, the game began…or it would have, had Naruka not tapped Gaara on the shoulder.

"What now?" asked Gaara.

"I almost forgot!" replied Naruka.

"What?"

"I wanna make this interesting…"

"How?"

"Winner gets to do whatever they want to the loser, except sex stuff! Shake on it?"

"As you wish."

Gaara and Naruka shook hands, and the game opened with the good ol' Sicilian Defense. Gaara smiled at the possibility of getting to do whatever he wanted to Naruka, although there was still quite a bit he wanted to accomplish before the day was up. Still, he watched as Naruka moved a knight to f3, prompting him to move a pawn to e6. In spite of Naruka taking her sweet time moving her pieces, Gaara remained as cold as the ice that Foreigner sang about. The two remained locked in a Fischerian battle of wits for a while, but there could only have been one…

"Bishop to e7…" said Naruka. "CHECKMATE!" She held her Wiimote up high in triumph.

Gaara slowly blinked as he heard the word "checkmate". He made eye contact with Naruka, and he wished he didn't…

"Get ready for it, babe!" Naruka reached for Gaara.

"Oh no! Please, don't…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That's right! I get to TICKLE you!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHP!"

"But the fun's only just begun!"

"I KNOW, BUT…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"But what? WHAT?"

"AHAHAHAHA! TOO TICKLISH!"

"Don't kid yourself, babe! There's NO such thing as being too ticklish!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

By now, Naruka was on top of Gaara and had him scrunched against the arm of the couch, trying in vain to avoid her tickling.

"Want me to give it to you some more?" asked Naruka.

"NO!" cried Gaara. "NONONONONO!"

"Your mouth says 'no'…" Naruka began pulling off Gaara's socks. "…but your feet say 'yes!'"

"NOT THE FEET! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Yes the feet! Feel my agony, babe!"

"STAHP! STAHP! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Sorry, but I don't stop until I'm satisfied!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What's that? You said you wanted some more? OK!"

"NO! NO MORE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

"But you're too cute! I wanna tickle you!"

"NARUKA, LET ME GO! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Why should I?"

"BECAUSE I'M GOING TO PEE MYSELF!"

Naruka got a weird look on her face.

"OK…I guess I should stop, huh?" said Naruka.

Gaara's only response was unbridled giggling.

"But…since you're so cute…I guess I'll tickle you just a little more!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

By the time Naruka was all done with Gaara, his face was so red, it could've been mistaken for a symbol of communism.

"Naruka, I know I said 'stahp', but that was actually a lot of fun!" said Gaara.

"Glad you enjoyed it!" said Naruka.

"Please, don't tell my cousin Kobi I said that, OK?"

"I promise!"

Naruka extended her pinkie to Gaara, and they pinkie swore on it. It had been a long time since Gaara had done so. Then, Gaara heard a familiar rumbling.

"I dunno about you, but tickling makes me hungry!" said Naruka.

"Well, what's for lunch?" asked Gaara.

Naruka smiled. "What else?"

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	3. Shooting

**A/N: SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I'd intended to post a new chapter a while back, but I got sidetracked, mainly because I was working on various projects in real life. I promise you won't have to wait too much longer for the next chapter, however.**

* * *

In the kitchen, Naruka grabbed a pot here, some random utensils there and began preparing ingredients for her special lunch: Ichiraku-style ramen. Ordinarily, she detested vegetables, but once they were simmering in broth along with all the other ingredients, she found them acceptable to her palate. Once the broth was truly boiling, it filled the kitchen with a medley of savory scents. While she was zipping about the kitchen cooking, Naruka hummed "Run Runaway" to herself. Then, she felt two arms wrap around her from behind.

"Having fun, my dear?" Gaara rested his head on Naruka's shoulder.

Naruka smiled. "If you keep hugging me like this, lunch is never gonna get done!"

"But you're so beautiful! You deserve it!"

"You're too kind, babe!"

Gaara stayed for a moment before leaving Naruka to her own devices. Eventually, she brought out two piping hot bowls of ramen for the two of them to enjoy. Without question, the two of them chowed down.

"Naruka, I don't know how you do it, but you make the best homemade ramen I've ever tasted!" said Gaara.

"Aw, you're so sweet!" said Naruka.

"Speaking of food, I wanted to tell you something…"

Naruka leaned closer to Gaara. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for all those times I insulted you by calling you 'ugly'. Had I known you were going to grow up and fill out the way you did, I would never have called you that. I recognize now that all women are beautiful, but none more so than you."

Naruka blushed. "Oh Gaara, that's not necessary! You've more than made up for it!"

"Really? You're forgiving me this easily?"

"Of course I am, silly! Well, I'm not going to forget the pain and scars that you've caused me, but forgiveness is good for the soul, right?"

"I suppose you're correct."

* * *

After their ramen and drinks were finished, Gaara got up from the table and collected the leftover bowls, utensils and beverage bottles. While he was washing the dishes, Naruka returned the hug that he'd given earlier.

"You know, you didn't have to do this for me." Naruka smiled. "I could've easily done this myself."

"I know, but you slaved over all those ingredients, so I think it's only fair that I should share the burden."

"Gaara, I didn't know you were a feminist!"

"No, I just believe in helping out, although I will admit, I enjoy helping out one of my favorite women ever."

"Oh, Gaara!"

Naruka began to playfully nibble at Gaara's ear, causing him to blush.

"Naruka, what are you doing!?" said Gaara.

"Just showing my love for my favorite guy ever! Believe it!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to do that while I was doing chores."

Naruka frowned. "Are you saying you don't like it when I do that?"

"Oh no, that's not what I'm saying at all!" Gaara smiled. "Please, keep doing it…babe!"

Naruka laughed. Then, she continued her affections. By the time he got done with the dishes and washed his hands, Gaara turned to Naruka and scooped her up, bridal-style.

"GAARA!" Naruka laughed.

Gaara ignored Naruka and carried her up to her bedroom, which was decorated with random pop culture and motivational posters, in addition to various action figures and plush dolls. He then set her down on the bed.

"I presume this is the part where I get to make out with you?" said Gaara.

"No, you're wrong, babe!" Naruka put her hands on Gaara's arms. "This is the part where I get to make out with YOU!"

Naruka pulled Gaara down on the bed and began kissing him. Wanting to maintain her dominance, she gave him a gentle push and straddled his body. Gaara knew that Naruka enjoyed being on top, but it didn't matter too much to him. As long as she felt good, he felt good. What really felt good to both parties was the fact that they'd taken a shower before making out, so they could truly enjoy the experience. Granted, their breath still had the scent of ramen, but this only made Naruka want to make out with Gaara even more. Gaara found the feeling of Naruka's tongue rubbing against his lips rather ticklish, and he couldn't help but giggle a little, thereby permitting her tongue to enter his mouth. At last, he got more than a taste of her, and it proved intoxicating. Now completely under her spell, he moaned as he remained interlocked in this bout of passion. The sound of Gaara's muffled moaning gave Naruka tingles up and down her spine. As fun as it all was, it couldn't last forever, so Naruka broke away when she felt as though she had her fill. As for Gaara, his mouth hung open in an expression of pure, unbridled joy. Much to his pleasure, she whispered in his ear:

"You were really fun, babe. We should do this more."

This gave Gaara chills. Now that he was frozen with happiness, Naruka turned him on his side and cuddled with him.

"Hey, remember the night of our senior prom?" asked Naruka.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I still can't thank you enough for staying with me that night."

"It was the least I could do, especially considering all the bad things I did."

"Hey, why are you so focused on the bad things? You should be focused on happy stuff, birthday boy!"

"I know, but the fact that I'm turning 21 and have nothing to look forward to but adult responsibilities does not fill me with great joy."

"Then maybe this will fill you with great joy!"

Naruka nibbled at Gaara's ear again, and he squirmed a little.

"What's the matter, babe?" said Naruka. "Don't you enjoy this?"

"I do, actually!" said Gaara. "Please, continue!"

And so, Naruka nibbled at Gaara's ear some more. Once she'd had her fun, she lied back down and continued cuddling.

"So, what do you wanna do next, babe?" asked Naruka.

"I don't know about you, but I could spend all day in bed with you!" said Gaara.

"That's awfully sweet of you, but I wanna get up and do something that involves moving around!"

"Like what?"

"Like, shooting each other with Nerf guns!"

"As long as nobody gets their eyes shot out, I'm up for it!"

* * *

And so, Naruka dug up her old Nerf guns and darts, and she and Gaara headed out to the backyard.

"Now, the rules are simple…" said Naruka, "…we start with our backs to each other, and then we take ten paces forwards, turn around, and FIRE! Sound good?"

Gaara gave a thumbs up. "Of course, Naruka!"

"Great!"

Gaara and Naruka loaded the guns and stood with their backs to each other.

"Ready, boy?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Then let's do it!"

1…

2…

3…

4…

5…

6…

7…

8…

9…

10!

Gaara and Naruka turned around and fired.

"Huh?" said Gaara, who noted a distinct lack of Naruka when he turned around.

Suddenly, a dart emerged from a nearby bush and struck Gaara square in the chest.

"What the…!?"

"PSYCH!"

Naruka jumped out of the bush and charged at Gaara. Not wanting to be outdone, the latter opened fire.

( _Damn, I forgot she had a longer stride than me!_ ) thought Gaara.

So, the two of them pelted each other with darts until they ran out of ammo. Not knowing what else to do, Gaara discarded his gun.

"HUG FIGHT!"

Gaara charged at Naruka and gave her a big hug, causing her to giggle.

"Gaara, what are you doing!? That's not in the rules!"

"But it's not out of the rules, either!"

Naruka laughed even harder and returned Gaara's embrace. To her, it wasn't quite as fun as the naked hug they'd shared earlier, but feeling his big, strong arms around her made her feel secure, nonetheless. She gave him another surprise…

"WHOA!"

Gaara didn't expect Naruka to trip him and push him to the ground with her, but that was exactly what she did. Thankfully, he suffered no injuries when he hit the ground. Naruka stared into his eyes for a brief moment before kissing him again.

"You know, Naruka, no matter how hard I try, I just can't get enough of your touch."

"What can I say? I'm just trying to make your present all the more special! Believe it!"

Gaara smiled. "I appreciate the thought!"

"Glad you do, boy! Now, how about we go inside and shoot some pool?"

"All right!"

* * *

After they'd picked up all the Nerf darts, Naruka led Gaara down to her basement, which the latter found to be squeaky clean, much to his surprise. The centerpiece of the basement was a pool table, with all the balls already racked up. Naruka put the ball rack away, handed a cue to Gaara and chalked her own stick.

"Ready to lose again?" asked Naruka.

Gaara smiled. "Why should I bother? Even when I've lost, I've won!"

Naruka laughed. "Oh, you're such a charmer!" She then took a quarter that was laying on top of the pool table. "Call it!"

"Heads!"

Naruka flipped the coin and caught it on her first try.

"Tails!"

With that, Naruka aimed at the already-placed cue ball and hit it. On the break, the 13 ball went into one of the corner pockets.

"HA!" Naruka pumped her fist and aimed for the 14 ball, which she sent into one of the corner pockets.

"So, think you're gonna win this round or what?"

Naruka hit the 12 ball into a side pocket.

Gaara crossed his arms. "That depends on whether or not you're going to keep cheating."

Naruka raised her index finger. "Now now, babe, you know as well as I do that I can keep hitting the balls in as long as they keep going in!"

Naruka aimed for the 10 ball and hit it. She got it in, but she also sunk the cue ball in a corner pocket. Gaara went to retrieve the cue ball when Naruka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey boy, what do you think you're doing!?" said Naruka.

"Have you forgotten?" replied Gaara. "If you hit the cue ball in, then it's MY turn."

Naruka gave a sharp snort. " _Fine_."

Gaara placed the cue ball towards one end of the table, aimed for the 6 ball and got it in a side pocket.

"I respect your womanhood, Naruka, but even I can't let that get in the way of the rules."

Gaara sunk the 3 ball into another side pocket.

"Nevertheless, I hope you don't let that get in the way of our relations."

Gaara sent the 7 ball into a corner pocket and cracked a slight smile.

"I won't, even if you are a poor sportswoman at times."

This time, Gaara hit the 2 ball into a side pocket.

"You're losing ground quickly, my dear Naruka."

Next, Gaara hit the 5 ball into a corner pocket. His smile widened and grew more evil.

"Still feel lucky… _babe_?"

Gaara managed to get the 4 ball into a side pocket with a tricky bank shot.

"I can almost feel the _coup de grace_ …"

Gaara aimed for the 1 ball and…

"SWING! BATTA BATTA BATTA!"

Naruka's chant caused Gaara to mess up, miss the shot and lose his smile.

"You know, if you weren't the kind of person you are, I probably would take a swing at you," he said.

Naruka pouted, and her eyes sparkled. "You wouldn't take a swing at a pretty young woman like _me_ , would you?"

Gaara lowered his stick. "No…I guess not. _Please_ … _continue_."

Naruka's smile returned. "Awesome!"

With that, Naruka attempted to re-gain her crown by hitting the 15 ball into a corner pocket, and succeeded in doing so.

"Don't mind if I do!"

Naruka hit the 9 ball into another corner pocket.

"Now…what was that about losing ground?"

Naruka sent the 11 ball into a side pocket.

"Almost there!"

Naruka hit the 15 ball into a corner pocket.

"And…8 ball in the corner pocket!"

Naruka hit the 8 ball, but it just missed the corner pocket.

"Damn," she said to herself.

Now that it was his turn, Gaara easily sunk the 1 ball in a side pocket.

"8 ball in the corner pocket!"

Gaara smiled as he aimed another bank shot and struck the cue ball. Both parties watched as the ball rolled on towards its intended target. Much to Gaara's good fortune, the cue ball hit the 8 ball and sent it into the corner pocket.

"YES!" Gaara pumped his fist. "How do you like me now, Naruka!?"

Naruka smirked. "Oh, I like you now, boy! As a matter of fact, let me show you how much I like you!"

"Huh…WHOA!"

Naruka grabbed Gaara, pinned him against the wall and started kissing him. While she was doing so, she tickled him.

"MMPH! MMMMMMPH!" Gaara tried to push Naruka away, but she held firm. It was only when "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" by Black Sabbath began playing that Naruka let up. Then, Gaara took out his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Gaara, having a fun time?" asked Temari.

"Oh yes, Temari, Naruka and I are having a blast!"

"Yeah, you sure sound happier than you did this morning!"

"What can I say? I just had the benefit of having time to think things over!"

"Good! Say, Kankuro and I are all ready for the birthday dinner. What about you?"

"Almost. Just bring me my leather jacket. Oh…and my GTO."

"Sure thing, baby brother!"

"And Temari…"

"Yes?"

Gaara frowned. " _Don't_ wreck it."

"Understood!"

Gaara's smile returned. "Before you go, I have a question…"

"Yes?"

"Can Naruka come with us tonight?"

"Oh, of course! She's such a nice woman, and she deserves to share in the fun!"

"OK, I'll let her know. I love you, sister!"

"I love you too!"

"Goodbye!"

"Bye!"

Gaara hung up. "Good news: Temari says you can come along with us."

"REALLY!? SWEET!"

Naruka gave Gaara another hug. He turned red, but only because he anticipated another round of tickling. That never transpired, however.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	4. Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times

**A/N: Sorry again for the late update! I promise I'll have this one done by the end of the month, however! Thank you for your patience!**

* * *

Temari managed to drive Gaara's 1970 Pontiac GTO down to Naruka's house without putting so much as a scratch on it. After putting on his Schott 650 leather jacket, Gaara took the wheel, and all four headed down to the Yamato Steak House. One of a few locations in southern New England to bear the name, this joint was somewhat packed on this particular Saturday. Fortunately, Gaara and co. got their table soon enough.

"So, what do we feel like ordering?" asked Naruka.

"Well, I've always been a fan of their yakiniku," said Gaara.

"Come on, bro!" said Kankuro. "Everybody knows the filet mignon is where it's at!"

"You're both wrong!" said Temari. "The miso soup has got a leg up on both of them!"

"I gotta agree with my girl Temari," said Naruka, "but the seafood soup rocks, too!"

Gaara and Kankuro glared at Naruka.

"What?" said Naruka.

Soon enough, the waitress came by.

"Can I get you something to drink?" said the waitress.

"I'll have a Coke," said Naruka.

"Green tea for me," said Temari.

"I'd also like a Coke," said Gaara.

"Got any Mountain Dew?" asked Kankuro.

"We don't have Pepsi products here," said the waitress.

"OK, get me a ginger ale, then."

The waitress departed to retrieve their drinks.

"So Gaara, tell me more about your day today!" said Temari.

"Well, Naruka and I played a bunch of games today, including _Global Thermonuclear War_ ," said Gaara.

"You played _Global Thermonuclear War_!?" said Kankuro. "That's one of my favorite games of all time!"

"You actually enjoy that strange game, Kankuro?"

"Of course! I mean, the only losing move is not to play!"

Gaara gave Kankuro a disbelieving squint.

"You wouldn't believe how ticklish your little brother is!" said Naruka.

"NARUKA!" Gaara turned bright red when she mentioned this.

Temari giggled. "Gaara, there's nothing wrong with being ticklish!"

"Maybe not, but it's not exactly something to brag about in _public_!" said Gaara. "OOF!"

Naruka gave Gaara a hearty shove.

"Come on, babe, lighten up a little! This is supposed to be the best day of your life, isn't it?"

"I guess you're right," said Gaara.

"Huh?" At this moment, Naruka raised her eyebrows, her attention suitably aroused.

"SAKURO!" Naruka got up from her seat, quickly walked over and hugged Sakuro Haruno. "How's my favorite pink boy doing!?"

Sakuro returned Naruka's hug. "I'm doing all right, Naruka! How about you?"

"Just awesome!"

Satisfied, the two broke away from the hug.

"Say, who's that mama that's with you?" asked Naruka.

"Naruka, this is my girlfriend Marie. Marie, this is my friend Naruka."

"How do you do?" Marie Romanelli – a tall brunette – shook hands with Naruka.

"I'd love to stay and catch up, but I got a date of my own," said Naruka. "Nice meeting you, Marie!"

"Bye, Naruka!" said Sakuro and Marie.

By the time Naruka returned to her table, the waitress was serving their drinks.

"What can I get you?" asked the waitress.

"I'll have the yakiniku and vegetable combo," said Gaara.

"Get me a filet mignon dinner entrée," said Kankuro.

"I'm ordering the miso soup," said Temari.

"Me too!" said Naruka.

The waitress went to fulfill their food order.

"Veggies, huh?" said Temari. "I didn't know you were so health conscious, little brother!"

"Well, I'm not just doing it for the ladies," said Gaara. "OOF!"

Naruka gave Gaara another shove. "Still being so modest, babe?"

"What, me modest?" Gaara chuckled. "Surely, my dear, you jest!"

"I don't jest, and don't call me Shirley! OOF!"

This time, it was Gaara who shoved Naruka. She turned to face him, and he dropped his jaws when he noticed a frown on her face and tears in her eyes. Kankuro and Temari shot disapproving looks at their youngest sibling.

"W-why would you even do that to a lady!?" said Naruka. "After all I taught you!"

"Naruka, I…I'm sorry!" said Gaara. "I was only joking around! I didn't even mean to hit _that_ hard!"

Suddenly, Naruka started laughing.

"HA!" Naruka gently jabbed Gaara in the rib cage. "I can't believe you fell for that one!"

Gaara couldn't help but laugh, too. His laughter proved infectious to Temari and Kankuro as well.

"In all seriousness," said Gaara, "you really need new material. I mean, what self-respecting adult steals jokes from 80s comedy movies anymore?"

Naruka frowned and crossed her arms. "Oh, I need NEW MATERIAL? HA! This one coming from a guy who still creates memes from _Perfect Dark_ screenshots!"

"So YOU'RE going to devalue my artistic endeavors now!? I oughta…AHAHAHA!"

"Oughta _what_?" said Naruka.

"AHAHAHA! DON'T TICKLE ME IN PUBLIC!"

"Tell you what: don't threaten me and maybe I won't tickle you in public!"

"ALL RIGHT! AHAHAHA! I'M SORRY!"

Naruka withdrew her tickle attack. Gaara did his best to suppress a smile, but it didn't seem to work very well for him.

Temari giggled. "Gaara, you need to lighten up sometimes! Being tickled isn't the end of the world!"

"Maybe not," said Gaara, "but there's a time and place for everything. Still, she's not nearly as bad as Kobi."

Naruka smirked. "Maybe not, but I can be."

"Er…no thanks!"

By this time, the waitress was back with their food.

"Naruka, would you care to join hands with us in prayer?" asked Gaara.

Naruka smiled. "Sure!"

And so, Naruka locked hands with Gaara, and Temari locked hands with Gaara. They all bowed their heads.

"Dear God, thank you for providing us with the ingredients to make this meal possible," said Gaara. "May they return to the earth, to be born once again. And thank you for bringing us together as companions, that we may create happy memories with each other for the time we are together. Amen."

Everyone let go and lifted their heads up, and then they began eating.

"Wow, this miso soup is DELICIOUS!" said Naruka.

"This must be your first time trying it, then," said Temari.

"Believe it! How are you enjoying your stuff, guys?"

Kankuro put down his chopsticks. "Good as always! You gotta try this filet mignon some time!"

Gaara smiled. "I for one will always remain loyal to the yakiniku, but I understand where you're coming from, Kankuro!"

"And that's why I'm happy to be a part of this family!" said Temari. "We've come such a long way since middle school!"

Gaara pointed a thumb at Naruka. "Thank my favorite woman over here. Without her, I might never have seen the light!"

"Hey, some of that was on you too, babe!" said Naruka. "You were the one who was willing to change!"

"I suppose you're right. I mean, no man does it all by himself, right?"

"True!"

* * *

Eventually, it came time to pay, and as per Gaara's recommendation, everybody chipped in for the bill. Gaara even took care of the tip. The four companions exited into the night laughing and generally being jovial.

"That was really nice of you to invite me along, Gaara!" said Naruka.

"Of course!" said Gaara. "You're always welcome to my family outings!"

"And it will be the last one you'll ever attend!" said a mysterious voice.

The four companions turned around and saw four unknown figures wearing long coats, their faces obscured by the light shining from the restaurant onto their backs, in addition to the darkness in general.

"Who the hell are you?" Gaara clenched his fists.

"Glad you asked!" said the same mysterious figure. "You see, we're friends of Sasuke!"

"Sasuke?" said Naruka. "But how…?"

"How did he know that your asses were gonna be showin' up at this two-bit dive?" said another one. "Well, let's just say that coincidences and daily visits add up real nicely!"

( _Sakuro…he couldn't have!_ ) thought Naruka, trying to keep a smile on her face. "Oh, I get it! He just wants to take credit for other peoples' screwups!"

"Very friggin' perceptive, Naruka Uzumaki! Too bad it's not gonna give you a goddamn advantage in this fight!"

"Look, just shut up and tell us how you know our names!" said Kankuro.

"For once, it's certainly not due to money," said another one, "and for once, my idiot partner was on point."

"Blow it out your ass, Kakuzu!" said the second one.

"Need I remind you whose side you're on, Hidan?" said the one known as Kakuzu.

"Enough of this banter!" said Temari. "If you're going to fight us, do it now!"

"Very well," said the fourth one, the only female in the group. "But, we must warn you that you're going to die."

Gaara smirked. "Bring it."

Gaara pulled out a snub-nosed Smith & Wesson Model 19 from his jacket pocket and shot Hidan in the head. The others pulled out longer guns from their coats, prompting the rest of Gaara's group to flee. Gaara himself even made tracks for his GTO as machine gun fire chewed up the pavement and random parked cars. Thankfully, everybody made it to Gaara's car without so much as a scratch. Gaara was even kind enough to fold the front seats down to let Kankuro and Temari get in first.

Once he and Naruka were inside, Gaara fumbled around for his keys, found the right one and started the car. By this time, the three still-living gang members were upon them, so Gaara quickly dumped the transmission into first and ran down another one as he fish-tailed it out of the parking lot, leaving a trail of burnt rubber and smoke. The two remaining gang members spat lead at the GTO without so much as a concern for innocent bystanders, some of whom were videotaping the entire incident. With Gaara's car rapidly peeling away, the two gang members headed for their own car – a black 1974 Plymouth Fury.

"Gaara…WHY were those people after us, and what did Sasuke have to do with any of this!?" asked Temari.

"I'm not totally sure," said Gaara, "but it must be because of the time I saved Naruka from being raped."

"Wait…YOU saved Naruka from bein' raped?" said Kankuro.

"Yes, I did, Kankuro, and it boggles me as to how you've been out of that loop."

"Hey, I was outta town that time! Cut me a goddamn break, will ya!?"

By now, Gaara and co. were in Apple Valley Plaza, where Gaara pulled the GTO into the parking lot and killed the headlights once he found a suitable parking spot near where Radio Shack was. He then shut off the car entirely.

"Everybody down and stay quiet!" said Gaara.

Everybody unbuckled their seatbelts and ducked out of sight. Gaara listened intently for the engines of other cars. At this time of the night, those were starting to become less frequent, but he heard quite a few. Most of these were foreign-made inline-4 and inline-6 engines that were all the rage nowadays. Sometimes, he would hear big V8 engines of pickup trucks and SUVs, but nothing that really stood out to him.

Meanwhile, Naruka, Temari and Kankuro were shaking and sweating with fear. They hoped that the police would get to Sasuke's wayward companions before the latter found out where they were parked. Naruka in particular was hoping to be able to give Gaara his present before any of them were among the few murder victims in Smithfield. Temari and Kankuro considered their continued survival to be a present all in itself.

Then, Gaara's ears perked up. In the distance, he heard the familiar peal of a Whelen electronic siren typical of emergency vehicles in the State of Rhode Island. Were the police going to give the scumbags what they deserved? He hoped so, for he hadn't brought that many bullets with him. Then, his ears also picked up a sound he was not hoping to pick up: that of a Chrysler 440 ci V8. As he heard the engine slowing down, he knew that they were all screwed if he hesitated for even a second more, so Gaara winged it and fired the GTO back up. He also turned the headlights on and sped away. Unfortunately, the Fury had the same idea.

"Everybody buckle up!" shouted Gaara.

Everybody did as they were told. Meanwhile, the chase continued west on Route 44, the occupants of the Fury still spitting hot lead at Gaara's crew.

"Shit, if I'd known we were gonna be shot at, I'd have brought my own piece!" said Naruka.

"Never mind that," said Gaara. "Just check the glove compartment!"

Naruka fumbled around in the glove compartment, expecting another gun.

"Gaara, if they have guns, then why do we have carpet tacks!?" said Naruka.

"They're technically drywall nails," said Gaara. "When I give you the signal, dump those!"

"Right!"

Gaara sped down Austin Ave, activating his car's vacuum-operated exhaust. Unfortunately, even with it delivering extra power to the mighty Ram Air engine, the Fury still kept up. Meanwhile, Temari and Kankuro were busy trying not to get shot in the head and assuring themselves that what their youngest sibling was doing was actually par for the course.

"NOW!" shouted Gaara.

Naruka did as she was told and dumped the nails out on a particularly dangerous curve. Gaara slowed down some in order to avoid crashing, and the driver of the Fury gunned it, seeing it as an opportunity to ram Gaara off the road. However, running over the nails caused the Fury to lose control and crash into a rock wall, thereby putting it and the occupants out of action.

"YES!" Naruka pumped her fist in triumph.

Meanwhile, Temari and Kankuro wiped the sweat off their brows, grateful not to have suffered any puncture wounds.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	5. Presents

**A/N: All right, I think we've waited long enough; it's time I finished this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

Having suffered no damage, Gaara took Naruka and his siblings back to his house.

"All right," said Kankuro, "now that we avoided getting shot, I think it's time we gave you your presents, brother!"

Gaara nodded. "I agree."

Everyone got out of the car and entered Gaara's house. There were only two presents awaiting him. This was normal, because every year, Gaara asked for fewer and fewer presents. Only Naruka saw anything suspicious about this.

"So, which one do you want to open first?" asked Temari.

"Hmmm…" Gaara dug around in his pockets for a quarter. After finding one, he flipped the coin. It turned up "heads", so he elected to open Kankuro's gift first, which was…

"A Keurig coffee maker!" Gaara smiled. "Kankuro, you didn't have to pay such a pretty penny for me!"

"That's the thing about it," said Kankuro. "I didn't!"

"What do you mean?"

"I got this from Savers! It was a wicked good deal, too!"

"Regardless, thank you!" Gaara gave Kankuro a fist bump. "Now, let me see what my darling sister has gotten me…"

Gaara opened Temari's gift next, and what was inside caused him to gasp.

"NO WAY!" said Gaara. "An Xbox One X!?"

"Yes way, my darling brother!" said Temari.

"Thank you so much!"

Gaara gave Temari a big hug. Even though Temari wasn't quite as soft as Naruka, Gaara got an equal sense of satisfaction from hugging her.

"You're welcome!" said Temari.

"Yeah, what she said!" said Kankuro.

"Well, it's been fun, but I must drive Naruka back to her house," said Gaara. "Have a good night, you two!"

"Bye, have a fun time!" said Temari.

"Don't have too much fun!" Kankuro attempted not to snicker when he said this.

* * *

Everything was normal at the Uzumaki household by the time Gaara and Naruka got there.

"Come on, babe," said Naruka, "I'm _dying_ to give you your present!"

Gaara smiled nervously.

Once inside, Gaara and Naruka removed their jackets and shoes, and the latter led him up to her bedroom, where they sat down on the bed.

"So, ready for your last present of the night?" asked Naruka.

"I…er…well…" Gaara frowned and rubbed the back of his head.

Naruka lost her smile, too. "Gaara…is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so."

"If that's the case, then please tell me!" Naruka put her hands on Gaara's shoulder.

"Naruka…this isn't easy for me to say, but…but…"

"But what?"

Gaara gulped. "Before I saw you today, I was going to kill myself tonight."

Naruka gasped with shock, and her eyes widened. "Gaara, NO!"

"Yes, Naruka, this is the truth."

"But _why_? What would prompt you to do that?"

"Well, you see, I feel that life isn't worth a Buffalo nickel anymore."

"But you're still young! You don't have to kill yourself!"

"I know, but at this age, I've lost too much: my parents, my uncle, and Yukata, to name a few. Remember Yukata?"

Naruka nodded.

"I was taking a night walk the day after Thanksgiving when I saw a light out of the corner of my eye. I thought I smelled smoke, so I ran to check it out, and I saw her house on fire."

At this point, Gaara was tearing up, but he tried to continue the story as best as he could.

"At first, I thought everyone was still asleep until I saw the front door open, and there she was. All of a sudden, I heard her yell 'Where's Sugar!? Where's Sugar!?' I tried to stop her from going back in the house, but I was too late! Her family stopped me from going in after her, and…and…MY FRIEND IS GETTING BURNED UP INSIDE! THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S MILES AWAY AND MY FRIEND IS…"

Finally, Gaara lost the ability to form comprehensible words and cried very hard. Seeing her soul mate breaking down like this, Naruka wrapped her arms around him.

"Gaara, it's all right to cry!" said Naruka. "I'm here for you, and I'm gonna make sure nothing hurts you!"

To say that it wasn't easy for Naruka to handle Gaara's emotions was the understatement of the century. It took all the strength she had not to fall apart herself. The hardest part for her was thinking about how he had few – if any – viable father figures growing up. Nevertheless, she took all the pain head-on and made it into the most beautiful thing she could possibly manage. Not only that, but she tried to picture how good it must have felt for him to receive her comfort. Even after Gaara stopped letting out so much as a sob, Naruka kept holding on. In her view, why bother ruining happiness? Even so, she had to let go eventually because she had to give him his real present.

"Feeling better, honey?" asked Naruka.

Gaara sniffled. "Yes…much better."

"Glad to hear it! Now, stay right here and take your clothes off; I'll get your present ready!"

Gaara blushed. "Um…OK…"

Naruka gave Gaara another gentle shove. "Hey, don't worry, babe! Mama Naruka's gonna take her clothes off, too!"

Naruka got up and left the bedroom. Meanwhile, Gaara disrobed and sat down on the bed, wondering what Naruka had in store for him. When she came back, she was completely naked, holding a bottle of coconut oil and a towel.

"Catch!" Naruka threw the towel at Gaara. "Now, lay the towel flat and lie down face first on the bed!"

Gaara did as he was told and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he could smell coconut and hear a rubbing noise. Then, he felt Naruka's warm and creamy touch as she massaged his back. Gaara smiled as she worked his tired, stressed-out muscles, and even moaned as she went over a particularly tense set of muscles. There was only one problem: he recognized that he was getting hard as well. He didn't mind too much, figuring that it was necessary for Naruka's present.

"Enjoying this so far?" asked Naruka.

"Y-yes…" replied Gaara.

"Good!"

Naruka continued massaging Gaara's back. With her touch, he could feel the pain and anxiety of his past melting away. Even though he didn't mind being hard at first, she started to move her hands down his back, over his butt, and down to his legs. In the process, she brushed his scrotum with her hands, causing him to throb a bit. At this point, Gaara wished that Naruka would give him release, but he also recognized that a bit of foreplay was necessary for this present to work at its full potential. Thus, he smiled and hummed a few notes of "Screaming in the Night" as she rubbed away all the tension from his legs. When Naruka got down to his feet, Gaara tensed up.

"Hey, why so twitchy?" asked Naruka.

"N-no reason…" replied Gaara.

"Come on, it's not like I'm gonna tickle you again!"

"O-OK…I believe you…"

"Good!"

Naruka massaged Gaara's feet. Knowing that she didn't intend to tickle them, he smiled and moaned as the pain went away and was replaced by pleasure. He was also a little worried that if she worked the right spot too much, then his present would be spoiled. Thankfully for him, that never came to pass.

"You feel like you're ready now," said Naruka. "Wanna turn over for me?"

Gaara gulped. He knew she'd felt him up before, but even so, he felt nervous about turning over for her. Still, he found the courage to do so, and put himself on full display for her. Naruka smiled when she saw what he had to offer.

"Yeah, I'm gonna _enjoy_ putting that cock inside me!" said Naruka. "But before I do…"

Naruka dug around in a drawer on her nightstand and found what she was looking for: a condom. She unwrapped it and put it on Gaara.

"Ready to open your present, honey?" asked Naruka.

Gaara nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"All right! Now be a good boy and let me drive you wild!"

Naruka mounted Gaara and let the fun begin. It hadn't been but a few seconds and he'd already found the whole thing electric…intoxicating, even. As a matter of fact, he found this better than watching his favorite love scenes from the _Hard Drivers_ movies on repeat. Ergo, he decided to let his brain shut down and go along for the ride, hoping that she would continue with whatever naughty things she had in mind.

Naruka had but one naughty thing in mind for Gaara, and that was to make his mind and body explode. She'd had her fair share of men over the years, but none of them really drove her frenzies. With Gaara, it was different. It was like having the baddest of all the bad boys, but with a soft, squishy soul. In one instant, she could make his wildest dreams come true; in another, she could have him begging for more. Eventually, she had to ask but one question:

"Hey babe, are you gonna cum for me?"

"If you keep doing that, yes!"

"Good, then cum for me!"

Moving her hips faster, Naruka truly took Gaara over. Now fully submissive to her will, he begged for that sweet release, but he also wanted it to be a good one. With every thrust, both parties came closer to opening the present. Finally, it happened:

"Oh Naruka…YES!"

Gaara pulled in Naruka and kissed her as he came, and he came hard. In many ways, it was better than doing it by himself, so to speak. It was equally as sweet – if not more so – for Naruka. Doing it with a man she loved sent her heart into the stratosphere. She knew he was still going off, so she kept going herself until she was sure that both of them were well and truly finished. By that point, they were both a hot, sweaty puddle of love. Nevertheless, Naruka retained enough sense to clean them up, after which she cuddled with Gaara.

"Naruka, I can't thank you enough!" Gaara smiled. "I knew my first time was going to be special, but you truly blew it out of the water!"

"This was your _first time_?" said Naruka. "Jeez, no wonder you had so much in you! Maybe I should give you another one!"

"N-no thanks, that was enough! I do, however, have one question…"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Does this mean you've forgiven me for breaking your nose in 7th grade?"

"Oh Gaara, honey, of course I do!"

Naruka rubbed noses with Gaara and kissed him. The way things were going, the future looked brighter than ever for Gaara.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


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